LG Gallery to show art and content on flat OLED TV

TVs with organic light emitting diodes sure took their time coming to market, and while LG will reveal more this week about how it plans to take on Samsung’s release of curved OLED TVs last week, we’ve also heard a rumbling about how curved TVs aren’t going to be the be-all end-all.

The news comes from LG over in Europe, where the company is – like many – about to show off its wares at the German equivalent of the Consumer Electronics Show, IFA.

With only a few days to go before IFA 2013 kicks off, LG is pre-announcing things, with one of them being a new 55 inch OLED TV that is flat.

Called the “Gallery OLED TV” and carrying the model number 55EA8800, it’s one TV that won’t feature the curved or “arena” style design that we’ve heard most OLED TVs will feature, a neat idea that makes it easier to be drawn into the picture, but also comes with the downside of not being able to accommodate every viewing position.

“Our Gallery OLED TV comprises the perfect blend of subtle beauty, unmatched picture quality and immersive sound,” said LG’s Havis Kwon.

“Challenging the status quo, this beautifully designed and engineered product is a clear example of our ability to think beyond the ordinary and provide consumers with a differentiated experience.”

Watching TV content appears to only be one half of the equation here, as the Gallery will also include high-resolution images of paintings by “legendary artists” such as Gauguin and and van Gogh, making the TV not just somewhat to watch Blu-rays on, but also a piece of art itself.

Pricing and availability both have yet to be announced for Australia, though you can rest assured we’ll be asking LG’s people when we see them shortly.